Rederiet MH Simonsen

Rederiet M.H. Simonsen Rederiet M.H. Simonsen Rederiet M.H. Simonsen Shipping Company 1931-2001 Tanker Company 1961-2001 Copyright © Rederiet M.H. Simonsen ApS 2nd edition 2003. Editing: Kirsten Hjorth Simonsen Layout & coverdesign: Ulla Poulsen Precht Composition & printing: OAB-Tryk a/s, Odense Bookbinding: Bruuns Bogbinderi A/S, Odense Photographic, mechanical or any other kind of reproduction or multiplication will not be allowed without written permission from M.H. Simonsen Rederiet M.H. Simonsen ApS Christiansmindevej 76 6700 Svendborg, Denmark Phone: (+45) 62 20 36 33 Fax: (+45) 62 20 35 33 E-mail: [email protected] www.mhsimonsen.com Frontcover: Orakota and Orateca. Backcover: Orasund. Painter: Lass Andersen Table of Contents Introduction . 7 Four Generations of Captains as Shipowners . 9 Dry Cargo Vessels 1931-1971 . 21 The First Vessels . 21 Salvage Operations . 23 World War II . 25 Gertrud Simonsen’s Narrative . 27 Other Vessels . 30 The Freight Market . 31 Tankers 1961-2001 . 33 The First Tankers . 33 Administration of Ships . 35 Chartering Office . 37 Northern European Shipping Area . 37 Danish International Register of Shipping (DIS) . 38 New Customers – New Ships . 40 Business Consolidates in Svendborg . 42 Two Sister Ships . 45 The Shipping Company’s First New Building . 47 ISM and Environment Certification . 49 Conclusion . 51 Fleet List 1931-2001 . 54 Current Vessels with Photographs . 58 Bibliography . 64 Løgstør’s fleet about 1900. The vessel to the left is Niels Simonsen’s Haabet. Photo: Limfjordsmuseet, Løgstør. Introduction The story of Rederiet M.H. Simonsen begins with the purchase of Martin Hjorth Simonsen’s first vessel in 1931. At the same time, he became the third generation in a line of family shipmasters who owned their own vessels. His grandfather, Lars Simonsen, owned vessels in the mid 1800s, and Martin’s father, Niels Simonsen, owned two pearboats, »Mary« and »Håbet«, around 1900. Niels died in 1919 when Martin was twenty years old, and eleven years would pass before the family owned yet another ship. In the first thirty years, from 1931 to 1961, the shipping company’s main business consisted of dry cargo vessels plying the domestic molasses trade. The first tanker was bought in 1961, again chiefly for shipping molasses, but also for the transport of other food products, such as fish oil. Today the company’s fleet consists of 8 tankers, one new tanker being built in a shipyard in Turkey, and one dry cargo vessel current- ly being converted into a tanker. Molasses is still being transported, but fish oil, animal fat, wax, fertilizer, and the like make up the pres- ent product list. Finally, since 1990 M/T Oragreen has been used for bunkering the fishing fleet at sea in Greenland. Naturally, our employees, business partners, insurance companies, Rederiforeningen for mindre skibe (Shipping Company for Small Vessels), The Classification Society, and public institutions, such as The Danish Maritime Authority, comprise the shipping company’s history; but especially our ships’ crews have always been the company’s most valuable resource. There are approximately 100 employees in the company today. 7 Since 1987 the company has had their own chartering division. Thus, the organisation now constitutes a fully modern shipping oper- ation. Looking at the company today, one sees an ongoing business cele- brating its 70th anniversary as a shipping company and 40 years of success with tankers. The future will be influenced by the fourth generation, Lars Hjorth Simonsen, who is further expanding the fleet to fulfil customers’ demands for quality transport of liquid products at sea. 8 Four Generations of Captains as Shipowners Lars Hjorth Simonsen, born in 1954. After taking his late morning final exam at high school in 1974, Lars Hjorth Simonsen travelled immediately to Skagen to sign up with the family vessel, M/T Grindal. His father, Martin Hjorth Simonsen, was captain on board. Unfortunately, the ship had already left port but was called back by the harbour agent. Later Lars went to navigation school in Svendborg and became a shipmaster. Thereafter, he sailed with the shipping company’s fleet until the workload of buying, maintenance, administration and chartering became too demanding combined with a career at sea. Since Martin Hjorth Simonsen’s death in 1992, his son Lars Hjorth Simonsen has been a shipowner and head of the company. Martin Hjorth Simonsen and his son, Lars Hjorth Simonsen, on board M/T Oragreen 1990. Photo: Bent Mikkelsen 9 Martin Simonsen is The letter is dated 19. 3. 1924 and is from Martin standing in the rear. Simonsen’s mother. He was a mate on S/S Kina. The vessel was owned by Rederiet Orient. The date of the letter is 25. 4. 1918 and it was written by Martin Simonsen’s sister. The photo is a postcard from Martin Simonsen to an aunt. It has the date 11. 8. 1918. In front are the captain and chief officer. Martin Simonsen is seen in the rear in a white shirt with tie. 10 Martin Hjorth Simonsen, 1899-1992. Martin Simonsen essentially followed the same course of education. When he was 15 years old and had received his secondary education in Løgstør, he sailed on the galley, “Familiens Håb”, to Falkenberg, Sweden for a cargo of timber. He then went to navigation school in Copenhagen and became a shipmaster and telegraph operator. Later he sailed as chief officer for DFDS (United Danish Steamship Company), among others. He went to China and sailed with a Chinese crew on a sailboat and for a number of years he also sailed around Greenland’s waters. Martin then aspired to become a settler on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He got a job as chief officer and met his friend, chief officer Clemens Sørensen, who later would become a clergyman in Vancouver. They lived as settlers, fished and worked together with native Indians, but returned after a while because of their lack of knowledge of agriculture. In 1919 Martin sailed on Barque Sterna. Here he is on the vessel in Gulfport. Barque Sterna in Gulfport harbour, 1919. 11 1923. Martin Hjorth S/S Godthaab. Simonsen sailed to Greenland on Godthaab as chief officer. Olga S was owned by Rederiet Torm, and Martin Hjorth Simonsen sailed as chief officer on the vessel in 1928. 12 On the painting: Lods Simonsen. Thyborøn. 1933. Sign.: P.Noes. Clemens Sørensen studied for the clergy when he came home. He got a position as a clergyman, a job that opened in Vancouver just as he had completed his education in Denmark. Back in Canada, he encouraged Danish emigrants to build nursing homes and churches. He later ended up on Danish soil again in Svendborg, where he became a highly respected and loved minister. Martin Simonsen was employed as a pilot at Thyborøn Lodseri (pilot station in north-west Jutland), when in 1931 he bought his own ship with money he had saved. This was the start of his life as a self-employed shipowner until 1992, when he died at the age of 92. 13 Niels A. Simonsen’s seamen book from 1880, when he was 20 years old. He never sailed world wide. After his father’s death in 1884 he took over his vessel. The name of the vessel was Jacobine Kirstine. r Niels A. Simonsen’s account book. He sailed with fire- wood and sold it to people living in northern Jutland. 14 Niels Andreas Simonsen 1860-1919 Niels Andreas Simonsen was the father of Martin. The family lived in Fjordgade 13 in Løgstør. Niels Simonsen was married to Ane Madsen (Hjorth) and they had 7 children. Martin’s younger brother, Simon, also sailed, but died young in Shanghai. Family portait of Niels A. Simonsen and his wife Ane and their seven children. Martin is standing in the rear to the left. The eldest brother, Lars, became head telegraph operator at Store Nord and travelled all over the world for this company. Later he took over the bookkeeping and administration of his brother Martin’s ships. During his time overseas he accumulated many fine pieces of antique furniture which now decorate the office at the shipping company. 15 The painting is signed: 13. 3. 1907. Haabet. Løgstør. N. A. Simonsen. 16 Gl. Mary. Martin Simonsen and his father paint the vessel. Niels Simonsen passed away in 1919 and the vessel was sold. Martin described how his father, Niels, owned two ships: Mary and Haabet, and pictures and paintings exist of both ships. Niels is referred to in the census as “skipper” and “captain”. He operated a small vessel trade. Martin recounted how one year his father picked up a cargo of fresh apples in Bogense (northern Funen) and was the first ship with the new harvest on Limfjorden (northern Jutland). He made as much money on this trip as he otherwise would earn in one whole year. 17 The account book of Lars Simonsen for his vessel “ Jacobine Page from the account Kirstine”. The book was book, 1878. started in 1876 - 125 years ago. When Lars Simonsen passed away in 1884, his son, Niels A. Simonsen, took over the account book and the vessel. 18 Over the centuries the people living on the coast of north Jutland had worked extensively with small vessel trade and often loaded and unloaded cargo directly on shore. This trade and run eventually declined with the opening of the Vendsyssel railway in 1871, but did not completely cease until around the year 1900. Lars Simonsen 1821-1884. Martin’s grandfather is also referred to in the census as “skipper” and “captain”. It is also recorded that he lived on Fjordgade in Løgstør. Fjordgade was at that time the main street in town.

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